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  1. #1
    Senior Member Jaleela's Avatar
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    Perdue the Shadow Born

    It could be shadowborn.

    :confused: So the question is, Perdue is one of the Magian's companions, one of the top three specifically; what is he? Neither Blood Enemies nor the Cities of the Sun gives any details, they only mention him by name, but does not mention "what" he is unlike Kevel the Lich Lord, or Breadth the Death Knight.

    Is there a type of creature specifically in the 2e or 3.x+ MMs that discuss a race or type of creature that fits this name category?

    I'd be interested in hearing what type of creature other DMs have used for Perdue.

    J
    Last edited by Jaleela; 03-04-2012 at 05:12 PM. Reason: fixed an incomplete thought.
    d'estre bons et leaulx amis et vrais ensemble et de servir l'un 'autre envers et contre tous

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    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaleela View Post
    It could be shadowborn.

    :confused: So the question is, Perdue is one of the Magian's companions, one of the top three specifically; what is he? Neither Blood Enemies nor the only mentions him by name, but does not mention "what" he is unlike Kevel the Lich Lord, or Breadth the Death Knight.

    Is there a type of creature specifically in the 2e or 3.x+ MMs that discuss a race or type of creature that fits this name category?

    I'd be interested in hearing what type of creature other DMs have used for Perdue.

    J
    I'm thinking a halfling given their ties to the Shadow World. It sounds like a 'mean machine' moniker though and could mean anything you want really. Without knowning for sure where the Magian is from (his namesake on the boards has mellowed my original assumptions that he was one of the Lost) suggesting races is tough, but if aiming to keep him physically imposing (a 3' tall rider doesn't sound right) I'd go for a human of some sort - possibly a vampire or someone touched by the Shadow World.

  3. #3
    Site Moderator Magian's Avatar
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    My original interpretation of him would be a wraith from the 2ed.

    http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Wraith

    Looks like they haven't changed too much in 3e.
    One law, One court, One allied people, One coin, and one tax, is what I shall bring to Cerilia.

  4. #4
    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    I was reading the blood abilities yesterday and noted the travel power - you could 'justify the name' Shadowborn by giving them the power to travel via Shadows, or perhaps become a shadow for a period, and have the name completely disconnected to their true nature. That gives you a much wider range of possibilities for the character and also allows you to disconnect the Magian from undead if you wish - to avoid the issue of undead with bloodlines I used to think of him as a living man whose bloodline had corrupted him into a quasi-lich state and so I'd probably do the same with his minions if playing near his lands.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Jaleela's Avatar
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    I had considered that he might be a wraith, and after this conversation, that he might be a wraith with a twist, perhaps he is not purely ethereal, but may be like a Raven loft style ghost in magnitude; with a special ability that allows him to become mutable.

    A vampire would also be an interesting touch. Perhaps a consideration for one of his other riders.

    In my campaign, the Magian is not undead, but his body is corrupted by his blood. It does neatly avoid the question of "How can the undead have a bloodline?"
    Last edited by Jaleela; 03-06-2012 at 01:14 PM. Reason: added a detail
    d'estre bons et leaulx amis et vrais ensemble et de servir l'un 'autre envers et contre tous

  6. #6
    Site Moderator Magian's Avatar
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    Those are some pretty cool alternatives Andrew. I had some ideas to share along those lines even if they are remotely related. To go back into the phrase about the Magian that he kept himself alive through magic and sheer will. I have considered using a rule that allows a true wizard the long life ability effect. When reading through many of the wizards descriptions there are a few of them saying to have been alive for a long time. Caine in Anuire in particular is who sparked this idea for me. Then with others said to be of similar vein I had decided what the heck. A stipulation that could possibly be considered is a particular connection to mebhaighl. Could it simply be required to have a level X source before you get this ability? Or is it that uber-mebhaighl required to be connected to before having. (I forget the name off-hand) Why entertain this rule when the blood abilities make it redundant? Because if fits. It would explain the reason elves are immortal. Further it would nicely fit into why I put in the notion that the Shadow (not necessarily Azrai) caused the flight of the humans into the lands of the elves (Cerilia) to destroy their power of life and magic in those lands.

    The sheer will aspect of that phrase I don't know yet. I haven't done much with my version of the Magian (in this particular aspect) outside of his homeland being in tune with nature, being a mature race and culture, and having some of if not the very first human true wizards. Along these lines the culture is very strong in the spirits of the people. I've considered using a bloodline replacement theology borrowed from some elements of oriental culture of a heavenly mandate for their emperor and the land actively chooses the best lords and the emperor himself as opposed to the self acclaimed birthrights of Anuire. I was thinking of having a different kind of mechanic that wasn't like the bloodine, to reflect the fact that the Magian didn't have one prior to his conquest of Cerilia. Therefore it being new to him, his entire continent was alien in its ways to the Cerilia-Adurian axis of bloodlines from dead gods. I could dally on other ideas, but I'll stop for now as this is entering more of my extended campaign ideas.

    With the shadow born I think all I did was look through the monster manual (or was it monstrous compendium) back then in 96 and pick out the best candidates. I think later the MC came out in hardback and I liked the image they had for the wraith so I went with that one after some time pondering what I'd do. The description of the wraith does fit with the actual undead theme as I am sure others could as well. I was thinking in very simple terms back then when matching those items up and I think the developers may have been as well so that was my attempt at interpreting what they had in mind. Sorry if it isn't nearly as cool as Andrews, but then what is?

    As for the vampire I figured I'd do an in-campaign change for that one. I didn't like the current write up and with the undead theme would have one of the riders vanquish him, and then morph into the more standard vampire we have come to know in the fantasy world. Also, back to my interpreting the developers, I was of the mind that the bloodform was in a sense a more modern explanation of the ancient greek myth of the wars with the titans. Each titan mighty and devastatingly powerful and unique. Hence there is only one minotaur or gorgon instead of the generic random spawn effect in most D&D games. Therefore Perdue being a wraith or The Wraith is something to be developed as for my personal grand design of the Magian each rider would have their own realm. Most easily they'd be able to replace the current spread of awnies in the Khinasi lands, and....and...perhaps the Magian is the reason for the fall of most of those Khinasi kingdoms in the first place? LOL OK my Magian is pretty grandiose already, but you never know it does add an element of master-mind to him doesn't it? I am sure the Raven and Serpent are separate however.
    One law, One court, One allied people, One coin, and one tax, is what I shall bring to Cerilia.

  7. #7
    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    Sheer will sounds like a feat to me - if you have a powerful source for more than 'x' years you can take a feat from the following list of extra-ordinary abilities sort of thing. The explanation basically being that you are very attuned to the source and so able to be sustained by it / perform some other supernatural feat normally beyond the reach of a mortal.

    Alternatively you could describe him as a magic-jar body-hopper, although I think that 3e limited its duration to prevent this route to immortality, or as someone with clones in temporal stasis - as one body aged he booted up the next body - or he could have a ritual to drain years from another to prolong his life, etc, etc - with his kind of magic power all sorts of things could be done.

  8. #8
    Site Moderator Magian's Avatar
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    I had considered things like Iron Will and such. As far as it being related to magic I would I prefer the idea that it is part of his character more so. Which does fall in line with your next idea of magic jar with a sort of Fistandantilus Bloodstone. Of course my favorite spell is stasis clone, but I hadn't thought of bringing that into Birthright. However, it could open the door for other ideas from what I have for his homelands if those are possible routes for him to pursue. Certainly a very unpopular notion in the greater Birthright community.
    One law, One court, One allied people, One coin, and one tax, is what I shall bring to Cerilia.

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    Site Moderator Sorontar's Avatar
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    I don't know of any spells etc for it, but you could always have the real Perdue exist in the Shadow World and just have his "Shadow" form exist on Cerilia. The real form could be more powerful, but while the shadow form exists, it is also vulnerable.

    Or use this for the Magian. Perhaps he can't truely access his real form in the Shdaow World, but while it exists, he cannot be truely killed or alive in Cerilia.

    Sorontar

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